What the …?! Teens using the rhythm method of birth control

I just read this alarming Associated Press article citing a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: An increasing number of teens are using the rhythm method as their method of birth control.

This, the article states, may account for the fact that the teen pregnancy rate is no longer declining.

I really can’t believe that teens, many of whom probably forget to brush their teeth in the morning, think they can keep track of their menstrual cycle, assuming they have a regular menstrual cycle at this point, and count their most fertile days. Parents, get these kids some information!

5 Responses

Honestly, I was more disturbed by the percentage of girls AND boys that think single (teen) motherhood is acceptable! It’s almost like having a child as a teen is no big deal when in reality they should be doing anything and everything to avoid it!

While I agree parents need to get their kids some info, I also feel that parents need to start being more realistic when it comes to their kids and sex. Granted I am young and at this point really don’t need to worry about my daughter for some time I hear so many parents say “oh my child wouldn’t do that” or “I’m not getting birth control b/c then they will think I endorse the idea of teenage sex.” We really need to realize that kids are going to have sex whether they are on birth control or not. Quite frankly I think it is carelessness on the parents part to not have a talk and a course of action with their children in the event they choose to engage in premarital sex. Maybe then this way there wouldn’t be so many unwanted pregnancies and we could stop hearing about how someone threw their newborn into a dumpster cuz they didn’t want their parents to find out about it. There really would be alot less “issues” regarding sex, std’s, pregnancy, drugs, alcohol, etc in the world if people would just realize that it’s human nature and rather than not talking about talk about it and create an atmosphere of trust. I’ve commented before about how my parents were this way with my brother and I growing up and we didn’t get into any major trouble….yes we experimented but we always felt comfortable talking to our parents about it before and after and the feeling that it wasn’t “forbidden” probably made us all the more eager to not do it. JMO!

This isn’t even an effective method for many adult women, since so many people have irregular or unpredictable periods… how a teen, with an inherently irregular period, could even attempt this method is mindboggling.

The rhythm method doesn’t work!!! As a 29 yer old woman, who can’t take birth control because of a reaction to the hormones or use condoms because of an allergy, I learned the hard way. I remember all of the emotions I had and fear and can’t imagine a teen handling that and I’m married with a post-grad education. Parents need to talk to there kids!!

PS my son was born April 2nd and couldn’t be happier but all of my ducks were in a row unlike a teenager who doesn’t even have a duck to put in a row yet.